While we didn’t bring our Make It Happen talents to the most recent night market, its always possible that we will make it happen at the next one. Meanwhile, I just signed up to volunteer at an art happening that will involve lots of interaction with perfect strangers, for an exhibition by a big white museum that shall remain nameless but that arguably resembles a giant white toilet. They’re looking for more volunteers, so email me if you’re interested.

More feedback today from a Make It Happen client, and frankly I’m not sure what to make of this. A client who uses a very distinctive name writes that his dream was to make “Artistic Pride” happen, by August 19 2010. He writes

“I think I got sidetracked by different pursuits and I’m unsure of what I really want to achieve most.”

I remember talking to this client, and at the time I remember not being entirely sure what artistic pride really meant. I think he meant that he didn’t take pride in the work that he was doing as a musician. I can’t help but think of an article I read in Wine and Spirits (stay with me …) about California Syrah producers who had stopped drinking the wines that they were making. Their wines were big, fat, hot, sweet, and clumsy. They didn’t like them any more, and finally one of them had the guts to make subtler, lighter, more interesting wines. Maybe this client has the same problem — he doesn’t like his own style. He needs to try something unlikely to be popular, something weird, and something he likes better.

My advice to this client is to drink some of the weird, funky, cloudy, iconoclastic wines that Joe Dressner imports, especially those from the Loire in France. Those wine-makers are definitely making art that makes themselves happy.

Feedback today from Lea, a Make It Happen client whose goal was to make money to finish her dissertation. This is a goal close to my heart, since I was a PLWD (person living with a dissertation) until May, which I finally finished and defended mine.

Lea reports that she is in the midst of making it happen. She says:

“I was aiming at one source of funding and simplifying (less jobs = less hectic); I’m going to be teaching a few different classes but it looks like the bills are covered.”

Lea, I can only offer you the advice that my grandmother gave my mother when she was finishing her dissertation: “Park your ass in the chair and finish the damn thing.” I made it happen, and you can too!

Feedback today from Make It Happen client Matt. Matt’s dream was to make “all is love” happen in the “not too distant future.”

As of August 5, 2010, Matt reports he is in the midst of making it happen.

He writes

Once the “Make it Happen” team clearly explained what the quantum guys and the Eastern mystics were/are talking about — All is nothing by vibrations, etc — I was able to let the past and future be content-like. Thanks, Matt.

The range of clients and projects was fantastic, and somewhat different from our previous outings at Flux Factory and the Lost Horizon Night Market. Whereas those events were at night and attended mostly by artists and party people, Governor’s Island attracted a more diverse audience, including some downright normal folks.

But everyone has something that they want to make happen, and Saturday’s attendees were no exception. Things that people wanted to make happen this time around included:

– Becoming the skippers of a ship and sail in open water.

– Being a more disciplined actress.

– Reviving a business.

– Having more shared experiences.

– Finishing a film.

– Finding a partner.

– Making thanksgiving dinner in a stone house for friends and family!

– Finishing a film script.

– A prototype to redefine the transfer of knowledge and save the world.

– Mission statement for a theater company.

– Love!

It was a truly inspiring, energizing day. In fact we were so involved with people making it happen that we neglected to take any pictures of our cozy porch in Nolan Park. So if you’ve got photos, send them to us at makeithappen.tm@gmail.com.

We received excellent feedback yesterday from Maria, whose goal was classic Make It Happen … she wanted to get a job.

At her initial intake, she set a target date of May 16. And guess what, dear readers? She got a job on the 16th that she says has now turned into many more jobs. She’s still looking for more freelance work, rewriting resumes, updating her portfolio and networking. But as Maria says in her feedback postcard, “Kind of freaky I got a job on that day.”